I was photographing in southeast Oklahoma this spring and the place was loaded with Indigo Buntings. This guy landed pretty close and I managed to get a shot just as he took off.
Camera Model: Canon EOS 7D
Shutter speed: 1/4000 sec
Aperture: 4
Exposure mode: Av
Exposure compensation: -1/3
Flash: Off
Metering mode: Multi-segment
ISO: 400
Lens: EF600mm f/4L IS USM
Looks like it is carrying nesting material! Neat photo, love the pose, BG, comp. Your techs say no flash but the image strangely has a flashed look to it, perhaps its just me. I would tone down the bill, and perhaps another round of sharpening to the top of the head and cheeks just to get that fine detail crisp like the rest of the body. Very cool.....
Mack- It's been a few months since I processed, so I don't remember exactly. My guess is I desaturated the blues a bit in PS. I use ACR for my conversions and they typically seem a little oversaturated.
How did the Coastal Bend Contest go for you? I've got some shots I really like. Waiting for the results is tough